Camp Nou to become multi-functional

Management of Camp Nou has secured another rugby game following the roaring success of the 2016 Top 14 Final that saw close to 100,000 rugby fans attending the game.

Author: Guy Oldenkotte

French rugby club Catalan Dragons has decided to use the venue to play Wigan Warriors.

The Dragons are based in the French prefecture of Perpignan and normally play their Super League games at the 13,000-capacity Stade Gilbert Brutus.

‘I hope this game is the beginning of a great story between our two clubs. It will be an historic day for the Dragons and, few months after having won the Challenge Cup at Wembley, we’ll play two consecutive games at the Camp Nou and then at Anfield. It’s a great period for our club but also for French rugby league,’ Bernard Guasch, Catalans Dragons chairman, said.

For Barcelona, it will be a case of switching codes after the Camp Nou hosted the 2016 Top 14 final. The showpiece game of the top-tier of French club rugby union drew a crowd of 99,124, a record for a club rugby game, as Racing 92 defeated Toulon 29-21.

Josep Maria Bartomeu, FC Barcelona president, said: ‘I encourage the Dragons supporters to treat our stadium like their home and for Wigan and Barça fans to also share the experience of seeing rugby league played at the Camp Nou. Two seasons ago, our stadium hosted the final of French rugby union’s Top 14 between Toulon and Racing 92 and it was watched by 99,000 people. It was an amazing atmosphere that we hope to see repeated on May 18.’

Ian Lenagan, Wigan Warriors chairman, added: ‘This is landmark moment in Super League’s history, and we are extremely proud to play our part in making history. I applaud Bernard Guasch and the Catalans Dragons for their ambition and innovative approach to growing the game and the profile of the Betfred Super League. In the Dragons, we have an organisation who share Wigan Warriors approach to driving the growth of rugby league on the international stage.

‘It’s a fantastic concept that will capture the imagination of sports fans across the continent of Europe, and I believe it will provide a shot in the arm for the new-era of Super League by underlining the competition’s ambition.’